Heineman vetoes nurse practitioner regulation bill

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nurse practitioners will still need to collaborate with physicians in order to practice in Nebraska, after the governor vetoed a bill that would have changed state regulations.

Gov. Dave Heineman on Tuesday vetoed the bill, which removed the requirement that nurses have an integrated practice agreement with a collaborating physician in order to practice in Nebraska. In the final vote, legislators had approved the measure unanimously.

Heineman says in the future there will be a shift toward additional independence for nurse practitioners, but the option provided by the bill went too far, too quickly.